Osaka talks about what she has done to turn herself into a contender

Noami Osaka won the first title of her career at Indian Wells, defeating Maria Sharapova, Agnieszka Radwanksa, Karolina Pliskova and Simona Halep before winning against Daria Kasatkina in the final.

The 20-year-old has improved her physical conditioning, which has allowed her to stay in points and pick her shots better.

"In the off-season I was trying to get fit so I could play long rallies all of the time. So I think that really paid off," she told the WTA website, part of her aim of keeping up a higher level of play. "It means that I'm not giving away free points. I'm not going to slap a ball when it's not there."

Match point from Osaka's win over Kasatkina in Indian Wells final:

Osaka also says she is taking a different approach and getting less frustrated on court.

"I'm just trying to pay more attention to my mental state more than the actual hitting of the ball now," she said. "I just really try to respect every opponent I play because I know they're good players and I shouldn't get angry when I play them. I should just focus on what I'm doing and be happy that I get to play these events."

Osaka has moved up to No. 22 in the rankings.

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